The Asian challenge for England's batsmen

For most players from England, a Test series in Asia is probably the ultimate batting challenge. The pace and bounce of Australian wickets obviously presents its own challenges, but for batsmen used to seam and swing, tackling high-quality spin bowling on pitches that assist turn is probably a test like no other. England have had some success in these conditions in the last four years, winning 2-1 in India in 2012-13 and drawing 1-1 in Sri Lanka, but over the next four weeks they will revisit the venues where they were drubbed 3-0 in 2012.

In that 2012 series, England's bowlers were excellent, restricting Pakistan to first-innings scores of 338, 257 and 99, but the batsmen undid all the good work, getting bowled out for 192, 160, 72, 141 and 252 in five out of six innings - the only time they passed 300 was in the first innings in Abu Dhabi, when they made 327; they compensated by getting bundled out for 72 in their second innings. In that series, England's four frontline bowlers all averaged less than 28, but only one batsman averaged more than that - Matt Prior. (Click here for their series averages.) Among the specialist batsmen, the best average was Jonathan Trott's 26.83.

Since 1990, England's top- and middle-order batsmen (those batting at Nos. 1 to 7) have averaged 37.81 outside Asia (excluding Zimbabwe), which is almost 14% better than their average in Asia (33.25, excluding Bangladesh). Going back further, among all England batsmen who have played at least 15 innings in Asia (excluding Bangladesh), only four have averaged more than 50, of whom three didn't play in Asia after 1990.

The only player who has averaged more than 50 here in the last 25 years is their current captain, Alastair Cook. He had a poor series in the UAE in 2012, scoring 159 runs in six innings, but overall, in six series in Asia he has averaged more than 45 four times, including a stellar tour of India in 2012-13, when he scored three hundreds and led from the front in a wonderful series triumph. The other England batsman who has been prolific in Asia in the last couple of decades is Graham Thorpe, with an average of 48.29 in 20 innings, which includes key roles in triumphs in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2000-01. Paul Collingwood and Prior are the others among the more recent England batsmen to average 40 or more.

A handful of England batsmen have had success in Asia, but the table below lists those who have underperformed. Many of them have played in Asia in the last two and a half decades: Alec Stewart, Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen are among those whose average in Asia in considerably lesser than their career average, but England will be more worried about current squad member Ian Bell's numbers. When in full flow he is a joy to watch, and with his ability to use his feet and also play the ball late, you'd expect him to be prolific in Asian conditions, but that hasn't been the case. In 19 Tests he has averaged only 31, with two centuries from 37 innings.

After his first three trips to Asia, though, Bell's record here was pretty impressive - 705 runs from 18 innings, at an average of 39.16. In fact, Bell's first series in Asia remains his best: against a testing Pakistan attack that included Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria, Bell was the only England batsman who passed 300 in the three-Test series in 2005-06, going past 50 three times in six innings, which included a sparkling 115 in Faisalabad. He struggled in India in 2006, but was consistent on the tour to Sri Lanka the following year, making three half-centuries in six innings. After his first 18 innings in Asia, he had seven scores of 50 or more.

That should have been a launching pad for even greater success when he toured those parts again as a more experienced Test cricketer, but Bell's Asian numbers have gone backwards since then. In his last 19 Test innings in Asia, his average has dropped to 22.18, with only two scores of 50 or more. His only century during this period came in relatively soft circumstances, on the fifth day of a Nagpur Test that was heading towards an inevitable draw.

His lowest point in Asian Tests came during this period, in the three Tests in the UAE against Pakistan, when he managed 51 runs in six innings, a sixth of the aggregate he had amassed on the previous series against Pakistan in Asia.

Among the batsmen in the current England squad, Cook and Bell are the two batsmen experienced in Asian conditions. Their overall career numbers are quite similar, but in Asia their stats are very different, and even more so when their performances against spin is compared. Cook has been outstanding against spin in Asia, averaging almost 72 against them, compared to Bell's meager 28. Spinners have had to toil 172 balls (28.4 overs), on average to dismiss Cook once; with Bell, they have had it much easier, dismissing him once every 77 balls (12.5 overs). Cook's average has dropped by half against pace, but that's also because he opens the batting and faces the new ball every time. Bell does better against pace, but batting usually at No. 5 means he often comes in to bat when the spinners are bowling, and that's an aspect he hasn't handled well.

While his numbers against spin in Asia are poor, it's his stats against pace that have dropped dramatically since 2008, while his average against spin has gone up a bit, though not enough to compensate for the dramatic drop against seamers.

Cook v Bell, versus pace and spin in Asia (excl. B'desh)

	Versus pace				Versus spin
Batsman	Runs	Balls	Dismissals	Average	Runs	Balls	Dismissals	Average
Alastair Cook	528	1305	15	35.20	932	2240	13	71.69
Ian Bell	473	890	12	39.41	587	1608	21	27.95

Ian Bell in Asia, before and since 2008 (excl. B'desh)

	Versus pace				Versus spin
	Runs	Balls	Dismissals	Average	Runs	Balls	Dismissals	Average
Before 2008	401	757	5	80.20	304	822	12	25.33
Since Jan 2008	72	133	7	10.28	283	786	9	31.44

In the 2012 series against Pakistan, Bell was clueless against Saeed Ajmal, falling to him four times in 50 balls, and scoring just 17 runs off him (average 4.25). Ajmal isn't around this time, but Yasir Shah will probably be a considerable threat. With Bell easily the most experienced middle-order batsman for England this time, he will need to considerably improve upon his recent Asia form to give England the best chance of reversing the results of 2012.